An Indian Summer and possibly the last picnic for this year. Migrating birds, flying over the lake. A gentle shift from summer into autumn. In the kitchen: days of apple. Root vegetables. Figs, satsumas, grapes and cheese. The basil on the balcony is still blooming and life drawing sessions have just got started. A glorious beginning to autumn.

Today, Apple introduced us to the iPhone 4S, but what I found really exciting and innovative is Siri, a voice control virtual personal assistant! "Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk." Siri writes and sends email messages and texts — and reads them to you, too. It searches the web, takes dictation and plays the music you want to hear. It helps you find your way, checks the weather forecast and shows you around. It places calls, schedules meetings and helps you remember things. And it wakes you up. Impressive, eh!? I think we're going to have to get used to people talking to their phones!